April is here! I'm all smiles. I enjoy warm weather. When I'm not outside on my porch, writing (yeah, southern all the way) I'm sitting under my pecan tree reading a good book. Author Alexis A. Goring's new novel, A Second Chance is sure to be a great spring read.

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.

Alexis, what do you enjoy doing when you not writing?When not writing, I like to spend time at the mall and bookstore. Barnes & Noble (bookstore) has a special place in my heart! I love going there and browsing books. I also love spending time in the café inside the bookstore with something to eat, drink and a good book to read.

What state do you live in? I live in Maryland. The area is beautiful! I am a short drive from the country (down one road) and the city (down the other road). I live in the suburbs, about 25 minutes outside of the state capital (Annapolis). I love spending time in Annapolis, too. It is a beautiful city!

A Second Chance

Newly single food critic and newspaper reporter Traci Hightower is done with dating. After the man of her dreams left her at the altar on their wedding day and ran off with the woman she thought was her best friend, Traci resolves to focus on work and resigns herself to being a bachelorette for life. Marc Roberts is a political reporter who is known as Mr. Nice Guy, the one who always finishes last. However, Marc’s compassion and kindness are of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister Gina Braxton who is trying to raise her two kids in the wake of her firefighter husband’s death. Traci and Marc may be the perfect match, but they don’t know it yet. With God’s guidance and the help of Gina’s matchmaking skills honed by her career as a bestselling romance novelist, there is hope for a happily ever after for these two broken hearts.

A Second Chance is a wonderful title. How did you choose the title of your book?It was the first title that popped in my head and since my main characters are getting a second chance in love, I thought that it was the perfect title for this story.

What inspired you to write A Second Chance?Nothing in particular inspired me to write this book. I just thought that it would be a way to give a voice and hope to jilted brides. I also thought that it would be nice to pay a tribute to the nice guys of the world who don’t get too much attention from the ladies or have their heart broken often. My story’s heroine, Traci, was left at the altar on her wedding day when her fiancé ran off with her Maid of Honor. This crushed Traci’s heart so she gave up on love and focused on work…until she met Marc, who made her feel in ways that she never thought she could feel again. Before he met Traci, Marc was used to being dumped by his girlfriends who said he was “too nice” and that they “just want to be friends.” But his niceness is of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister who is struggling to raise her two children while keeping up with her lucrative career as a famous inspirational romance novelist. Marc helps his sister by babysitting her kids and getting them out of the house so that she can focus on her book deadlines. I thought that it would be a good idea to draw on Gina’s skills as a romance novelist and of course, God’s guidance to bring Traci and Marc together. Now to find out how this works, you’ll have to read my book!

What is your favorite scene/chapter? My favorite scene is toward the end of the book when Marc pays a surprise visit to Traci’s parents’ house. They live in a beautiful hacienda in Northern California. If you want to know why he visits Traci’s parents, you’ll have to read my book! Ha-ha.

Is there a message in this novel, you want readers to grasp?Yes. I want readers to take to heart this Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11 because no matter what, it is important to hold on to God’s promises. He says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He (God) has good plans for your life. I know that when times get tough, it’s hard to believe that but God’s Word is true. So always hold onto hope. He loves you!

Alexis, God's peace is wonderful, when we stand firm with His promises.

Are you working on a new project you can tell us about it?Yes. I am writing my next two books! One is about a fictional five-star quality restaurant in the heart of a major city and the characters that love it. The other story is about a wedding photographer who’s never been in love.